Attracting wild animals like rabbits into your garden can be such a great way of having an exotic pet or providing them with fresh food.
Rabbits are herbivorous animals. their diet consists only of plant-based matter such as grasses, herbs, leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, etc that can easily be found in a garden.
They are also social animals and can form a great bond with humans as they enjoy petting, feeding, and interacting with humans.
They are self-groomers just like cats. and they can also be trained to use litter when introduced in a garden.
How To Attract Wild Rabbits To A Garden:
Consider these easy steps to attract exotic pets such as rabbits to your garden.
1. Provide Shelter/ Suitable Habitat:
One of the major problems of rabbits is the loss of habitats largely caused by human encroachment.
Rabbits are cautious animals that prefer an environment that can hide them and keep them safe away from predators such as snakes, foxes, owls, hawks, humans, etc.
To attract them to your garden, make sure you have dense vegetation consisting of grasses, tall trees, shrubs, and flowers.
2. Provide A Source Of Food:
Rabbits are herbivores. They require only plant-based foods.
They can be attracted when you have edible grasses such as timothy grass, meadow hay, orchard grass, bermuda grass, etc.
These grasses have high fiber content, soft textures, and a diverse range of nutrients and they are palatable to many rabbits.
Other plant-based foods that rabbits can eat are leafy green, fruits, grains, vegetables, etc.
They must all be free from chemicals, insecticides, and fertilizers.
You can also lure and keep them with lettuce, carrots, and herbs that will easily not be found in one environment in the wild.
However, you can either plant their food in your garden or allow them to spring up naturally and be careful not to use any chemicals so as not to cause any harm to their general well-being.
3. Provide Clean Water:
Rabbits just like all other living creatures require water for drinking and bathing, etc.
Always provide clean and fresh water in the garden to attract and keep them.
Water is very essential for hydration, body temperature regulation, hygiene, and digestion in rabbits.
In hot weather, rabbits will bathe more often and drink more water to regulate their body temperature.
After eating, they may require water to help soften food molecules to aid digestion and absorb nutrients.
4. Protection Against Predators:
Rabbits are very cautious animals that are very scared of their predators.
Any garden provided to attract them must have covers and hide spots to conceal them away from their natural predators including humans.
Predators of rabbits are dogs, cats, owls, snakes, hawks, foxes, and humans etc.
Bird predators have great eyesight and can easily spot rabbits if the garden is not dense with enough trees, shrubs, and grasses. they are mostly prey to younger rabbits.
Domestic prey such as cats, dogs, etc might share close habitats with rabbits in the garden.
They have bigger size, wild instincts, and speed that can be used to hunt and kill a rabbit. They should be kept in cages or a demarcated environment.
5. Provide Nesting Grounds:
Rabbits are prolific breeders that attain sexual maturity between 3 to 6 months.
They produce their offspring (kittens) by mating between the female rabbit (Doe ) and the male rabbit (Buck).
The provision of nesting grounds lures them into your garden and also allows them to establish themselves in your garden.
6. Avoid Or Limit Noise:
Rabbits just like cats are easily startled by noise. faint or loud noises can easily frighten them inducing behaviors such as freezing, hiding, or fleeing away from the garden.
Noise can cause great stress to rabbits which can affect their general well-being. It should be avoided at all costs.
7. Patience:
After providing adequate food, shelter, water, nesting grounds, and protection against predators, you have to exercise patience for them to find your garden and be comfortable before they can call it a new home.
Considerations:
Rabbits can cause great havoc to your garden if allowed to roam freely or if their presence is not carefully managed.
They can nibble on plants, and dig up soils thereby destroying the soil bed structure and exposing the roots of plants.
They can also drop their feces indiscriminately which can cause the spread of diseases if not properly taught how to use litter.
Can A Rabbit Make A Great Pet:
Rabbits are exciting and exotic animals that can make the right person.
They are one of the cleanest to own for a first-time pet owner.
Here are some reasons why they can make a great pet, especially for a first-time pet owner.
1. Social Creatures:
Rabbits just like cats and dogs are affectionate animals. They are capable of forming strong and unique bonds with their owners.
They enjoy gentle petting, they also love to be fed especially by their owners and they are capable of being trained especially to use litter.
2. Self Groomers:
Rabbits just like cats are capable of grooming themselves. They are very clean animals.
Their self-grooming and clean nature makes them suitable not only for outdoor space but also for households.
3. Lifespan:
Having a pet allows for sharing a significant lifespan of your life and theirs.
The lifespan of rabbits and any other animal depends on the individual, genetics, health, environment, nutrition, etc.
On average, a rabbit can live for 8-12 years, some may live longer for 15 years.
Providing them with excellent living conditions such as the right diet, treatments when sick, clean water, a healthy environment, etc can make them live longer and share lifetime memories.
4. Companionship:
Rabbits are affectionate animals that can take part in significant occasions of our existence.
They can form good bonds and become companions.
Conclusion:
Attracting a rabbit to your garden to share your personal space and offerings is such a delightful experience.
It also comes with a long-term responsibility as you must be ready for their general well-being.